small kitchen tales

It's August already and our winter is nearly over. We have a few things happenning this month, some good , some not and a cupcake workshop thrown in. Thank you for leaving me sweet words about what you are thankful for. Have drawn some names using random org and I will send a card to Little Ted Canvas , Leonie and Valerie . I'll contact you for your details ladies. Thanks again to you all for visiting and making me smile. Happy August to you ✗ ♥

I love winter, love the rain, the cosiness, the puddles BUT I don't like the fact that there isn't any sunshine and most of the time it feels muddy and gloomy outside. It has been a little flat in the m.e household of late and I'm sorry that I haven't been round to say hi to you like I normally would and have just been doing a catchup on google reader.  You know about my love of bunting , well after seeing a friend had made a birthday bunting for her family, I thought I'd start a new tradition for us as well and make one in time for my little boy who will be 3 soon. After some great advice and the necessary stuff to stick my letters on it's nearly there and all that is needed now is to sew it all together. On our shopping trip, Aidan spotted the truck fabric and was squealing with delight, I had to get it and with a little help from mum will make him a quilt. If I tell you that he has been hugging the fabric since would you believe me! Happy creatin...

 more fun here ✗ ♥

Hope you have a sweet day ♥ ✗ ♥

We've had some chaotic creativity today that involved rain, car problems, kinder, cakes and cupcakes. I have a cake order and some cupcakes to finish so I need to hurry up and get it sorted before I head off to an exciting exhibition . Last night I transformed a thrifted dress into an apron but there is absolutely not a second to spare for photographs and the rain outside isn't helping at all so all I have is the before pic. Hope you're having a day full of creativity . I promise to visit tomorrow as right now, I am slowly working myself up to a little bit of a panic attack. ♥ ✗ ♥

T hank you for being thankful and sharing your thoughts with me, it made me teary just reading some of them and made me think about what I have as opposed to what i don't and to appreciate those who make me smile and not worry about those who don't. This is the second time I have made banana bread, first time was not so good, this time....success. Let me know if you try it, it's somewhat healthier than usual. print me Banana Bread conversions ingredients 2 eggs 250g (1 cup + 1 tablespoon) caster sugar 100ml vegetable oil 1 cup mashed banana (3 medium overripe bananas) 1/2 cup sour cream dash of milk or cream 100g crushed* walnuts 270g (1 3/4 cups) self raising flour 1 tsp bicarb soda 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp mixed spice topping 1 tablespoon brown sugar 50g (1/2 cup) crushed* walnuts method preheat oven to 160C, grease and line a loaf tin, I used 26cm, with baking paper beat the sugar and eggs on high until pale and thick, reduce speed and gradually ...

Underneath all the sparkle, baking and fun, there are times when life just gets a little hard, things get emotional and motivation begins to drift off.   That's when true friends step in and open their arms and show me that they care and they are there for me. Nothing makes me smile more than a sweet word, a warm hug and the simplest of gestures. Opening up my messages to find that you have tried a recipe and loved it or that my images make you smile. I am thankful for my real life friends that do care and do go out of their way to come and see me when they know I am down and to my virtual friends for the daily encouragement that makes life just...good. I'd love to send you a photo card in the mail, to put a stamp on an envelope and write you a note and make you smile. Leave me a sweet word and I'll pick a few names from out of the virtual pot.  Is there anything you are thankful for? I'll give you a week. Thank you ♥ ✗ ♥

Today is all about amusing the little people around here while I get some baking done for the Made n Thornbury winter market tomorrow.   Looking forward to it and hope you can pop by for some handmade goodness and support the wonderful talents of many women.  Also a BIG thank you to the amazing woman behind this fabulous market, Justine , who is leaving the neighbourhood house at the end of the week. You'll definitely be missed Justine! So today we are creatively baking, food colour painting, dressing up and of course thanks to a sweet gift from a super sweet lady they look super good whilst doing that! Hope you are happily creating, I wonder what the beret wearing Ms Kirsty is up to today. Happy day ♥ ✗ ♥

Back to kinder today and a healthy snack is needed, so this is an easy one to make the night before. Fruit and Nut Slice   ingredients 2 cups rolled oats with fruit 1/2 cup sultanas 1 cup flaked almonds 1/2 cup (180g) honey 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter  method Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C (fan). Lightly grease a 20cm x 30cm cake tin (or a square tin if you like). Line with baking paper, allowing paper to hang over the sides place oats, nuts and sultanas into a bowl and stir to combine heat honey, vegetable oil and peanut butter in a small saucepan until melted and smooth add to oat mixture and stir to combine press into tin and smooth the top bake for 20 minutes covered loosely with a piece of foil to prevent sultanas burning, remove foil and bake for a further 10 minutes or until slightly golden and firm to touch allow to cool in tin, once cool, remove and cut into pieces I used a rolled oat mixture, but you...

You can never have too much bunting around the house can you? These vintage hankies were in the letterbox when I got home, so I knew that they were destined for a new life. And how could I possibly NOT try this recipe , and as my 4 year old would say "easy peasey lemon squeezey " and it really is. Off to bake some cakes, have a wonderfully creative day sweet friends ♥ ✗ ♥

We surprised the little ones today with a trip to the snow, their first one and as you can imagine, they absolutely LOVED it! It 's amazing to see something that 18 months ago was ash is now slowly developing and regenerating. For those who live in luscious snow countries, it is a different type of beautiful, one I absolutely love and wanted to share with you. I had to use my weekly thrift store finds and addition to the family of ever growing bag/suitcases . Hope you had a great day, happy week and check out some more treasures here . ♥ ✗ ♥